The Purple Knight
by Azrelus
Summary: Azrel woke up one day in Planeptune's Basilicom. He couldn't remember anything other than his name. Thankfully, Neptune, the owner of the place, allowed him to stay. Without any leads and clues to his past, Azrel started his days of adventures with Neptune and friends!
1. Prologue - Awakening

**Hello! This is my first fanfiction ever. So, I would appreciate it if you give me reviews. Please point my mistakes so that I can try to improve my writing skills. Thanks in advance!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters except for the OC.**

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 **Prologue – Awakening**

I opened my eyes slowly. I didn't know why, but opening them was quite hard. Maybe because I was still sleepy, but I doubted it. My body felt rested, and I felt a soft and warm feeling from my back. I turned my head and realized that I was on a bed. Purple bed to be exact. There were several dolls scattered on the floor. They were somewhat cute, one of them being a purple haired girl.

I tried to get up, but my body felt so heavy. Slowly but surely, I managed to sit up. I tried to move my arm around. Just as I thought, they also felt heavy. Did I pass out after doing some workouts? My concentration was interrupted by a creaking sound. I turned my head and saw a purple-haired girl standing across the bed, looking into my eyes. There was a moment of silence before the girl gasped and covered her mouth. Before I could call out to her, she quickly turned around and ran out of the room.

"Onee-chan! Histoire-san!"

I could hear the girl shouted some names. After a brief moment, the girl returned to the room. But now, she got companies. Another purple-haired girl, but shorter in height, and a…fairy? Anyway, the fairy was sitting on a flying book, which was weird in my opinion.

The shorter girl walked up to me and pressed her hand onto my forehead.

"Hmm, nope! No fever at all!" She said cheerfully.

She probably thought that I had caught a fever. Soon after that, the other two came to me as well.

"Onee-chan, of course he doesn't have a fever. We already checked his temperature last night." The taller girl said softly.

"I know! But I just had to make sure of it! Nobody knows what can happen in a single night!" Replied the shorter girl.

"Uh…"

I tried to say something, but not even a word came out. The three turned their attention to me. The fairy seemed to notice my confusion and cleared her throat.

"Neptune-san, Nepgear-san, I think it's not polite to make our guest confused like this." She said in stern voice.

"Ah, you're right," The shorter girl smiled at me. "Sorry there! We suddenly talked like that without even introducing ourselves, huh? By the way, the name's Neptune! This girl is my little sister, Nepgear! And that little creature is Histy!"

"At least introduce me properly! My name is not Histy, it's Histoire!" The fairy pouted.

I smiled at their exchange. Neptune noticed, and returned another smile to me.

"I see. It's nice to meet all of you. You can call me Azrel." I said to them.

"Nice to meet you too, Azrel!" Neptune cheerfully said.

"Nice to meet you too." Nepgear said softly.

Histoire only gave me a smile.

"Then, can I ask you what happened to me? You acted as if I was sick or something." I asked them.

"Huh, you don't remember anything, Azzy?" Neptune asked back.

Azzy? Giving me a nickname right away, she must be a friendly person. But she was right, I didn't remember anything other than my name. I tried to recall anything, but none came to mind.

"I'm sorry, I cannot recall anything. I only know my name."

"Perhaps it's amnesia?" The fairy spoke.

"Amnesia? Then, we're amnesia buddy, then! Cause I got amnesia once, long time ago!" Said Neptune.

How can she be carefree like that? I could only gave a nod in as a respond.

"Um, we found you deep inside a ruin, sleeping. We didn't know what to do, so we decided to bring you back to our home." Nepgear explained to me.

"I was sleeping in a ruin?"

I tried to remember about a ruin, but to no avail. It seemed that I lost all of my memory, except my name.

"You really can't remember anything, huh?" Neptune asked worriedly. "That means, you don't know anything other than your name?"

I nodded in response.

"I see. But no worries, buddy! We will make sure to explain things to you! But for now," Neptune pushed me to the bed. "You should rest for a while! Even if you say you're fine, don't get up until you feel even better!"

"Ah, I will do that then. Thank you." I thanked her.

"If you need a drink, Nepgear already brought a glass of water for you to drink." Neptune said as she pointed her finger at a small table beside the bed.

"Onee-chan, you seem different." Said Nepgear.

"I have to agree with Nepgear here. It's rare to see you show hospitality to another person." Said Histoire as she nodded.

"Of course! I need to show my dependable side, now and then! I can't become the main character if I always laze around, can I?"

I chuckled at their conversation. They also started to laugh after seeing me.

"Okay then. We will be outside at the living room. If you need anything, just call Nepgear or Histoire!" Said Neptune cheerfully.

"Don't run away from responsibilities after what you've just said!" Histoire shouted at Neptune.

Neptune laughed at Histoire's reaction before running off outside. Histoire followed her after she gave a small bow. Nepgear followed soon after, but stopped at the door. She turned to look at me.

"If you really need something, please don't hesitate to call me." She said politely.

"Thank you."

She closed the door behind her after she stepped outside. As much as I wanted to hear an explanation about all of this, Neptune was right. My body still felt heavy. It looked like I needed another rest before I could move normally. Accepting Neptune's idea, I took a drink a little and closed my eyes. After a short moment, I fell asleep completely.


	2. Chapter 1 - A Lecture from Neptune

**Hello again! This chapter is mostly an explanation about Gamindustri, so forgive me if it's boring.**

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 **Chapter 1 – A Lecture from Neptune**

It was noon when I woke up. I tried to move my body around. Thank goodness, it looked like my rest had an effect. I slowly got out of the bed and made my way to the door. I found myself standing in a corridor. I wasn't sure where to go. I wanted to call Nepgear, but I realized that it was rude to randomly shout someone's name, in their house. She did say it was okay, but I don't want to do what I think is wrong. Fortunately, I heard a voice coming from the right. If I recall correctly, it seemed to be Neptune's voice. I decided to follow the voice and ended up in a big room. Judging from the design and furniture, this must be the living room. The voice was coming from the sofa in front of the TV. There, Neptune was mashing a controller like crazy.

"Ah, damn! How can that guy beat me in one hit? This game is defective!" Neptune shouted angrily.

I didn't want to interrupt her, but I wasn't sure either on what to do. Soon after, Neptune paused her game and turned it off. Her face clearly showed an annoyed expression. After she cursed the game developer, she turned around and finally noticed me.

"Yo, Azzy! You're awake now, huh? Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"Uh, I saw that you were playing intensely, and I don't want to ruin your moment." I said.

"You saw that? But I clearly didn't enjoy the game! The enemy was so overpowered, I couldn't even bring the first boss's HP to half! Really, developers nowadays." Neptune shook her head.

I wasn't sure how to react, so I just let out a chuckle. To my surprise, my stomach made a grumbling sound. Neptune looked at me, clearly holding her laugh.

"Hahaha! Was that your stomach's voice? It was so weird!" She said while laughing.

"W-well, I can't help it! I don't know when the last time I had eaten a food!" I protested.

Slowly, Neptune's laughter began to fade. She wiped the remaining tears on her eyes.

"Haha, you're right. Sorry, but I couldn't hold it! I know! As an apology, you get to it my favorite food!" Neptune ran to fridge an picked up something. "Ta-dah!"

She flashed the item to me. A pudding. Why wasn't I surprised?

"Um, thank you." I said as I took the pudding from her hand.

"Sorry, you have to put up with pudding for a while. Nepgear is currently out, she suddenly got a call from her friend. And Histy got something to do at the guild. And I can't cook." Neptune said.

"No, it's okay. You're already kind enough."

I opened the pudding and started to eat it. It was really delicious. I thought it was the best food I had ever tasted, or just because I had an amnesia. Neptune looked happy when I ate it and gestured me to follow her to the dining table. After she sat herself on one of the chair, she opened a pudding for herself. I chose to sit on the chair across her.

"It's really delicious, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, so delicious."

"Oh yeah! I promised to explain everything to you, didn't I? Well, no need to wait! I'm going to explain everything to you now!"

"Wait, hold on, I thought you wanted Nepgear and Histoire to explain it to me?" I asked.

"Haha, well, they're not around right now, and I thought I should do my job in a while!"

"I see. Then please do."

Neptune put her pudding on the table and began to think.

"Hmm, where should I start?" She pondered. After a brief moment, she nodded to herself.

"First off, this place, I mean this whole continent is called Gamindustri. There are four nations in Gamindustri. Right now, you are in MY nation, Planeptune!" She emphasized.

"Your nation?"

"Yeppers! But, I'll explain it to you later so you don't get confused. The other nations are Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox. Each nation is ruled by a Goddess, an—"

"Whoa, wait! Goddess? You said this is your nation, and a nation is ruled by a Goddess. I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look like a Goddess a single bit." I said.

Neptune didn't say anything back. She stood up from her chair and her body began to glow. A white flash suddenly filled up the room. When the light faded, I adjusted my vision. I'm not sure what happened, but Neptune is no longer there. Instead, a taller woman was standing on where Neptune was. She had dark purple hair. She wore a black skintight leotard. Her legs covered by black boots up to her knee. And she had a pair of…well, big breasts. Somehow, she resembled Neptune. More like, Neptune's adult form.

"How about it? Do I look like a Goddess now?" She asked. Her voice was deep, just like a mature woman.

"I don't even know where to start. I mean, are you Neptune?" I answered with a question.

"Yes, I am Neptune. But in this form, I am known as Purple Heart, the Goddess of Planeptune." She explained.

"…okay. But you're really different from before."

"Of course, a Goddess must be a mature and dependable. I can't just act like a child as a Goddess."

 _But you were a child._ I thought to myself.

"Anyway, let me continue my explanation. Each nation is ruled by a Goddess. Planeptune is ruled by me, Purple Heart. Lastation is ruled by Black Heart, Lowee is ruled by White Heart, and Leanbox is ruled by Green Heart. At first, we were enemies. But you see, lots of things happened and the nations are now at peace. Each nation also has an Oracle. Oracle is like the vice-leader. In my case, it's Histoire." She continued her explanation.

"So, is Nepgear a Goddess too?"

"Of course. Our little sisters are known as candidates. They can also transform."

Purple Heart walked to the nearest window, observing the cities below. Below? Wait, we're so high up in the sky! I didn't realize this before.

"Two days ago, an adventurer from our guild found a new ruin not far from here. Because she didn't know what might appear inside, she requested my help to explore the ruin. And there, deep inside, I found you." She said. "I was not sure what to do, but as a Goddess, I have to help everyone in need. So I took you here."

I see. I understood her explanations. But I still can't remember anything about myself. But, whenever I looked at Purple Heart, I felt…happy. I didn't know her, she didn't know me, but what was this feeling?

"Is something the matter, Azzy?"

"Whoa!"

I was so caught up in my imagination that I wasn't aware Purple Heart's face is in front of me right now.

"Am I that scary?" She asked me with a hurt face.

"N-no! I was just surprised! You're not scary at all! In fact, you're beautiful!"

Ah, I was so flustered I didn't even know what I said. After hearing what I said, Purple Heart's face reddened a bit.

"Thank you…" She said softly.

My heart skipped a beat. Her reaction was cute. I wanted to hug her, but no. I wasn't crazy enough to hug someone I just met. A Goddess of all people! I cleared my throat to break the awkwardness.

"So, is there anything else I need to know?" I asked her.

"Uh, yes. It's about Share. Share is like the embodiment of people's trust to the Goddess. The more they trust the Goddesses, the more powerful the Goddesses become. Even though our countries are at peace, we are still competing to get more shares." She explained further. "I think that's all for now. There are few other things that you may want to know, but those are enough for the time being."

Purple Heart's body began to glow and she returned to her younger form.

"So, any other question?" She asked.

"No need. I think I understand now." I answered.

"Okey-dokey! Now, while we're waiting for Nepgear, why don't we play a game?"

I smiled at Neptune. She's really different from her other form.

"I guess that's a good idea, Lady Neptune."

Neptune reacted to that. She is surprised by the sudden change on my way of calling her.

"What, you don't like being called like that?" I asked her.

"Well, it's not that I don't like it, it's just feel weird when you call me that."

"I see. But I don't intend on changing it. You're a Goddess, and I am an ordinary human. At least let me show my respect to you."

"If you say so then. But! Just act normal around me. I don't want you to feel inferior from me. Just act buddy-buddy, kay?" She said cheerfully.

"Roger that, Lady Neptune."

We both laughed and proceeded to play our game while waiting for our cook, Nepgear.


	3. Chapter 2 - Azrel's First Quest

**Hello guys! Thank you for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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 **Chapter 2 - Azrel's First Quest**

We had to wait for about an hour before Nepgear came home. Even though I didn't feel bad for it, Nepgear kept apologizing to me and made us a special lunch(more like brunch for me). And just as I expected, Nepgear's cooking was delicious. We enjoyed our lunch together and proceeded to play some games. Ms. Histoire came back not long after that. She told me that she had asked some adventurers from the guild to find out about the ruins which might hold a clue to my past. I thanked her for her consideration.

Then, I had a sudden realization. Like Lady Neptune said, a Goddess's power came from Share, which is an embodiment of people's trust to the Goddess. So, how could they get Share if they keep acting like that? My curiosity got over me, and I decided to ask the Goddess herself.

"Hey, Lady Neptune. How come you have Share when you don't do anything?" I asked casually.

My question seemed to spark something inside Neptune. She slowly put down the controller and turned to me.

"W-well, of course! I'm so amazing that just by existing people will look up to me!" She said.

"So, Ms. Histoire, can you tell me why?" I asked Histoire without giving Lady Neptune's answer a single attention.

"I see that you already know about Share. And yes, just like you said, there's no way a Goddess can have Share when she doesn't do anything. Actually," Ms. Histoire showed me a graph. "Planeptune's Share is the lowest among the nations. And I'm sure you can tell why."

I turned to look at Lady Neptune. She just gave me a sheepish laugh.

"Then, wouldn't it be dangerous for Lady Neptune?"

"Yes. If Nepgear and I weren't around, Planeptune would probably cease to exist." Ms. Histoire commented harshly.

"B-but, I can be serious at times too, you know? If there's really something big happening, I PROBABLY would check it myself." Neptune retaliated.

"But it's not enough! What if someday Nepgear and I can't help you anymore? You should be more considerate regarding your nation!"

Uh-oh. It looked like my question heated things up. Nepgear was trying to calm both of them down. Really, Planeptune was doomed. I didn't want that to happen. My only choice was to help Lady Neptune with her Share.

"Excuse me, but what do you have to do to increase the Share?" I asked them.

They finally stopped arguing. Lady Neptune was clearly frustrated and continued to play her game with Nepgear accompanying her. Ms. Histoire cleared her throat and returned to her usual self.

"Well, there are some things you can do. Helping the people by finding items for them, slaying some monsters, you name it. Usually, people would post their request at the guild. By clearing them, the Share may rise up." She explained.

"I see."

Simply put, fulfilling people's request would raise the Share. I thought it would be harder than that. Not like I knew what kind of request the people made.

"Then, if I do a quest, it would raise the Share, right?" I said.

"Hmm? Azrel, do you want to do a quest?" Ms. Histoire asked.

"Yes. If I can help Planeptune, then why not? I mean, all of you saved me and took care of me. I want to be useful, so please let me do this for you."

"There are dangerous monsters out there. And sorry if this is a bit offensive, but do you even know how to fight?" Histoire asked again.

"Well, I don't know. But I think I can put up a good fight. Of course, I won't try to get myself killed in the process. I'll do an easy quest for now."

"If Azrel wants to do it, then why don't you just let him? I'll come along if you think it's dangerous for him to go alone." Nepgear said.

Histoire looked back and forth between me and Nepgear. After a while, she sighed.

"I get it. I'll let you do a quest. But it's already getting dark, so you may do it tomorrow," She said. "See, Neptune? Even Azrel would do a quest for you. I hope you understand how important this matter is."

Ms. Histoire left the room after that. Lady Neptune seemed not to care and kept on playing her game. I decided not to interrupt her. Who knows what was going on in her mind?

"Azrel, I have something for you."

Nepgear suddenly gave me a paper bag.

"Hmm? What's this?"

I opened it up to see what was inside. There were clothes, shirts and pants. It seemed like Nepgear also went out to buy some clothes for me.

"I figured you would be staying here, so I decided to buy some for you. I didn't know your size, so some of them may not suit you. We can exchange them though." Nepgear said.

"It's okay. You really are kind. Thank you."

"You're welcome. By the way, the room for you is ready to be used now. You can find at the end of the corridor."

"I'm getting a room too? Wait, then whose room did I sleep in?"

"Um, that was my room. It's kinda childish, huh?"

"N-no, not at all. It suits you, really,"

"Is that so? Thank you. Then, I'll be in my room. If you need anything, just come to my room." Nepgear said as she left the room.

The only people left in the room are me and Lady Neptune. She was focused on her game, so not much I could do. I decided to go to my new room. Really, these people were so nice. I didn't even have my memories. I think I could never repay them after they did so much to me. Arriving at the door to my room, I opened it. The room was quite simple. The bed was not as big as Nepgear's, but it didn't matter. Though people might find this room to be girlish; the walls were painted purple, the carpets were light blue. I dropped myself to the bed, thinking about what had happened this afternoon. I remembered about my conversations with Lady Neptune. When she transformed into Purple Heart, I felt something. I felt that she was familiar somehow. Did I know her in the past? It's impossible though, she also didn't know about me. But, she did say she had amnesia in the past. There were so many possibilities, so I decided to drop it for now. My body felt tired all of a sudden, maybe because I haven't fully recovered yet. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

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"So, the quest is to hunt Dogoos? What are dogoos anyway?" I asked.

"Dogoos are creatures that can be found throughout Gamindustri. They look like slimes, and have ears and tail." Nepgear explained.

It was morning. Nepgear and I were on the way to Virtua Forest. Ms. Histoire picked an easy mission for us. I could see Ms. Histoire was worried. I was grateful for that. I wanted to tell Lady Neptune about this, but she was still asleep. Nepgear said we shouldn't force her to wake up. Nepgear really spoiled her sister too much. After about fifteen minutes of walking, we finally arrived at Virtua Forest. Virtua Forest is…a forest. Not much I could say. Before we proceeded further, Nepgear stopped me.

"Azrel, I have another present for you." She said as she handed me a sword.

"A sword? Did you also buy this?" I asked. She had done so much to me, so I would feel bad if she spent more of her money for me.

"Don't worry, I made that myself. I thought that you might have difficulties, so I made a light weapon. I also added some features so that you can change its elemental property in combat." She explained.

I carefully observed the sword in my hand. It wasn't big, but not small either. It had medium length, and a purple crystal was embedded on its hilt. Various buttons also located at the hilt. The buttons had different colors. Maybe they represented the elements. I pressed the red button which changed the crystal's color to red.

"I see. Right now, it has fire element, right?" I asked her.

"Yes. I'm sure it will be useful to you."

"Of course it will. Thank you."

We continued our walk through the forest. After a while we ended up in a clearing. According to the report, there had been sightings of hostile Dogoos in here. Just as we were looking around, a group of Dogoos came out of a bush.

"10…no, 12?" I counted their number.

"Don't worry, Azrel. They are not that powerful. But be careful, don't let them surround you!"

I nodded and rushed forward. In a short moment I had closed the gap between me and the Dogoos. I slashed the first one diagonally, followed with a vertical slash to the other nearest one. One of them tried to jump on me, but I dodged it by moving to the side, and counter it with a slash. Not far from me, Nepgear also did a great job. She nimbly moved around while slashing the Dogoos with her sword. A Dogoos suddenly hit me from behind. Fortunately, that didn't hurt so much. Without losing the momentum, I quickly rushed in and slashed multiple Dogoos at once. That attack finished the last remaining Dogoo. I looked at Nepgear, and she had also finished her part.

"I didn't think you can fight that well, Azrel." She said.

"Now that you mention it…" I stretched my arms. "Maybe I was a fighter. I can react well in combat."

Suddenly, another group of Dogoos showed up. This time their numbers are quite large.

"Azrel! Try to use the fire element!"

Reacting immediately, I pressed the red button.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Concentrate your power to the sword, then swing it!"

I did as she told. I focused all my power into the sword, and did a downward slash. A fiery energy was shot out to the group of Dogoos, eliminating them immediately. I looked at the sword in awe.

"This is awesome!"

Nepgear smiled at my reaction. She looked happy because I praised her creation.

"Are you sure this is for me?"

"Of course. It's better for you to use it."

"I see. Thank you then. Does it have a name?" I asked her.

"Well, I was planning on naming it Multiple Elemental Swift Deadly Sharp Sword."

"C-can't you give it a shorter name?"

"Hmm…" She pondered for a while. "Then, how about Elementia?"

"I guess that will do."

I became the owner of Elementia. Well, it's nice to have a weapon made just for you. I was really grateful. The moment of tranquility was suddenly interrupted by a loud sound. It came from the forest.

"This sound…it's as if the trees are being trampled upon!" Nepgear commented.

"Something big is coming, I can feel it." I added.

The sound became louder and louder. In a short moment, the creature finally showed itself. Nepgear was shocked by the creature's size, but I was more shocked by the fact that a Dogoo could be this big.

"Um, is it normal for Dogoo to be this big?" I asked.

"W-well, some of them are big…BUT NOT THIS BIG!"

"RUN!"

Both of us quickly turned and ran away. Somehow, this particular Dogoo could match our speed. No, wait, that thing was faster than us! It was only a matter of time until it crush us under its body.

"I'm going to try that attack on it!" I yelled.

Quickly, I turned around and unleashed a fiery blast from Elementia. To my surprise, that only slowed it down. I continued running along with Nepgear.

"I'm going to transform!" Nepgear said.

Nepgear's body was surrounded by light just like Lady Neptune when she transformed. When the light dissipated, Nepgear had transformed. She didn't look too much different, except for her eyes and hair. Her weapon also changed into a gun-blade. She aimed for the Dogoo and shot out a laser. It managed to hit it and stopped it. Our moment of joy only lasted for a few seconds. The Giant Dogoo rose up and continued to close our distance.

"What kind of Dogoo is this?!" I shouted.

"I don't know! We never fought something like this before!" Nepgear replied.

Suddenly, a purple light descended from the sky, striking the Dogoo from above. The Dogoo stopped moving, and suddenly was cleaved into two, and became floating bits. We were shocked in awe as Purple Heart flew closer to us.

"Really, having trouble against that creature, did your level dropped to Lv.1 Nepgear?" She asked.

At that time I realized, Lady Neptune can be such a badass.


	4. Chapter 3 - Ruin Exploration

**Sorry for the late update! I'm trying to update at least 2 chapters per week from now on. If I'm not busy, I can publish more chapter! Unfortunately, next week I'm going to have midterm exams. So, I PROBABLY won't publish new chapter next week. I hope you understand ^_^**

 **And again, thank you for the reviews. Don't hesitate to give one. I welcome any kinds of reviews, including critics. Without further ado, enjoy this chapter!**

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 **Chapter 3 - Ruin Exploration**

"You could've woken me up, you know!"

Lady Neptune shouted at me. Apparently, she wasn't happy about what us leaving her back at home. After she saved us from the huge Dogoo, she kept ranting all the way back to the guild.

"I did want to wake you up, but Nepgear said that I shouldn't do it. I'm sorry." I apologized.

Unfortunately, that apology didn't work. She kept making a disappointed face and seemed a little bit sad. The reason I did a quest was to help her, not to make her angry like this. Giving up, I finally asked her.

"Is there anything I can do to make you happy, Lady Neptune?"

She looked at me with a surprised look. It must've been my imagination, but her face turned bright red for a moment.

"Ah, wha, um…what?" She stuttered.

"I said, is there anything I can do to make you happy? I mean, you're being angry and all…I did the quest to help you, you know. If there is something I can do for you to forgive, please tell me." I said.

Lady Neptune calmed down. She let out a sigh and giggled.

"S-so, that's what you mean. Haha…" She laughed. "I'm not actually angry at you. I just feel frustrated that you didn't tell me about going out. But I can understand, you didn't because Nepgear told you so. That's why, from now on, if you wanna do a quest, you have to take me with you!"

"Huh? But, I'm doing this to help you. If I take you along, then what's the point?"

"I don't care! I don't want to lose my title as the main character just because I let another people to do the job!" She protested. "I know! I will accept your apology if you agree to this!"

She looked so eager. If I said no, she wouldn't forgive me, and I live in the same place with her, that wouldn't be a wise choice. But, if I said yes, she would forgive me and would start following me on my quest. That would negate my purpose. In this case though, I guess I'll let her do what she wants.

"Alright, but please don't do all the work by yourself. I want you to rely on me." I said.

Lady Neptune jumped up and down in happiness. She really became happy just because of that. I thought she didn't like to work. Whatever, if she's happy, that's enough. Once again, I felt something familiar about this. Why am I really eager to help Lady Neptune? Out of debt? No, there's more to this. But I don't know what that is. The purple…I had known it before.

"Azzy, what's the matter?"

Lady Neptune looked at me worriedly. Did I show an unpleasant expression?

"N-no, it's nothing." I said. "By the way, Lady Neptune, where is the ruin located? The one where you found me sleeping inside."

"Oh, that ruin. It's not that far from here, but it would take a long time to get there by foot. You need to travel through some hills. Do you wanna go there?"

"I would like to do that, but it seems that it would take a long time to get there, so—"

"Don't worry! I can take you there! I mean, it's still noon and I don't have anything to do, let's go there! We might find something about you!" She said.

"Would that be alright?"

She gave a peace sign. If she really wants to help, then I guess it won't hurt to give it a shot. Immediately after that, Nepgear came out from the guild. I forgot to mention, while we were talking outside the guild, Nepgear reported the mission and registered the new kind of Dogoo to the guild's database.

"It's finally done. Onee-chan, what are you going to do now?" Nepgear asked.

"Azzy and I are going to visit the ruin. Nepgear, wanna come along?"

"Of course, I—"

A sound came from Nepgear's pocket. She took out a device, probably her phone. She stared at it for a while.

"I'm sorry, but I need to do something at Lastation." Nepgear said.

"Ah, a date with Uni? It can't be helped then!" Lady Neptune said.

"I-it's not a date! Uni wanted my help on something, nothing more! Geez, onee-chan. The one who is going to go on a date is you, not me."

Nepgear's words seemed to hit a string on Lady Neptune. Her face turned bright red once again. I could only give a small laugh.

"Well, Nepgear isn't wrong in a way. It's just you and me that are going to go to the ruin." I said.

My answer seemed to make Lady Neptune even redder. Suddenly, she transformed without any warning. She turned to look at Nepgear.

"Nepgear, I believe you need to go to Lastation, IMMEDIATELY." Lady Neptune said.

"Y-yes ma'am!"

With that, Nepgear transformed and flew away to the distance. I looked at Lady Neptune, who kept staring at the ground for some reason.

"Um, Lady Neptune?"

"Yes?" She immediately answered.

"Should we go now?"

"Of course."

* * *

It didn't take long to reach the ruin. Though, the journey from Planeptune to this place was quite awkward. Lady Neptune didn't seem to think that by bringing to this place means she had to carry me along the way. After some moments of hesitation, she finally composed herself and took me by the arm. She didn't say a word along the way. Even now, she's still in her Goddess form. When I asked her why, she didn't answer. Alas, we continued to go inside the ruin.

The place was quite big. Mosses were everywhere, fallen pillars, overgrown vines, and cracked walls. The strange thing was, there's no monster at all. Lady Neptune guided me to one of the corridor. It was a short corridor, and now we've arrived in another room. This room is empty. No other way to enter this room besides the corridor we went through. The only thing lighting up the place was the sunlight from some cracked ceilings.

"I found you right here, with your back to the wall." Lady Neptune said.

I began to check the room thoroughly. I was hoping I could find some clues, but this room was just an empty room. What was I doing in this place? I shook my head after I finished checking.

"No clue, huh? Well, there are some rooms I haven't checked yet. Do you want to check them?" Lady Neptune asked.

"It won't hurt to try."

We walked back to the big room. This time, we entered a hallway through one of the path. We arrived in another room. This room had a pond occupying half of the room. It wasn't big though. I checked the pond and put my hand in it. The water felt cold, and it looked fresh. There were no signs of living creatures in the water. Without any reason to stay in this room, we exited back to the big room. There's only one path left to explore. We proceeded through the path and entered another hallway. After a moment of walking, we finally arrived in another room.

This room resembled a throne room. Pillars on left and right, some of them were destroyed. At the end of this room was a chair, like the ones that kings and queens use. This place was too small to be called a castle. Moreover, this place hadn't got much room. Curious, I checked the chair. Nothing suspicious about it, but I found something intriguing. Beside the chair, there was a sword. I took it and lifted it up to see it more clearly. Lady Neptune was standing beside me and also observed the sword.

There were stains on the blade. I touched the stain to check what that is. It was blood, old enough for it to rust along with the sword. Someone must've used this sword to inflict great wound to somebody. Suddenly, I saw something in my mind. A person…a girl. I couldn't clearly see her face, but she was definitely smiling. A sharp pain hurt my head after that vision. I held my head in response.

"Azzy, are you alright?!" Lady Neptune asked. She held my shoulders in worry.

"I…I think I'm fine." I said.

The pain remained for a short time before it subsided. I let go of my head looked at Lady Neptune. She's directly in front of me right now. Her hands still holding my shoulders. To ensure her, I gave her a smile.

"Ah, good then. What happened?" She asked again.

"When I touched the bloodstain, I saw something in my mind. I think it was my memory. I saw a girl smiling at me. Unfortunately, I couldn't see her face." I explained.

"I see. So you really are related to this place. I wonder who the girl is…" Lady Neptune realized her hands were still holding my shoulders. She quickly let go of me and looked away. "I'm…glad you're fine."

"Thank you, Lady Neptune." I thanked her.

Something caught my attention. A shiny object was lying near the sword. I took it and began to observe it. It was a round red stone. It seemed to glow faintly.

"What is this?" I asked.

"I don't know. I never saw this kind of stone before. Why don't we take it back and let Histy check it?" Lady Neptune said.

"Good idea."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, purple Goddess."

A voice suddenly came from the room's entrance. A girl with long white hair was standing with her arms crossed.

"I want you to give the stone to me." The white-haired girl said.

"Who are you and what are you going to do with the stone?" Lady Neptune asked.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any obligation to tell you about that. Just give me the stone and I'll let you leave this place peacefully."

Lady Neptune turned to look at me. I nodded in understanding. I took a few steps back with the stone in my hand, while Lady Neptune stepped forward and summoned her sword.

"I'm sorry, I also don't have any obligation to follow your order." Lady Neptune said.

The white-haired girl let out a laugh and summoned a huge lance. She pointed the lance to Lady Neptune.

"I guess I have to take it by force then."


	5. Chapter 4 - The Sapphire Flame

**Sorry for the late update! Been busy with some assignments -_-" Anyway, here's the next chapter! Sorry again if it's too short.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - The Sapphire Flame**

Both women stand still, observing each other's movement. Just like Lady Neptune had gestured me to, I hid behind of the pillar and watch them. The girl dashed quickly to close the distance with her lance pointing at Lady Neptune's head, but she evaded it easily. Lady Neptune moved to her side and swings her sword. The girl simply blocked the attack with her lance and pushed Lady Neptune back. Without losing momentum, the girl shoots out multiple blue energies from her lance. Fortunately, Lady Neptune managed to jump forward before the energies hit her, following with a downward slash. Again, the girl easily blocked her attack.

"What's wrong? Is that all you got?" The girl smirked.

"Of course not." Lady Neptune simply answered. She kicked the girl's stomach, pushing her back. Lady Neptune raised her left hand to the air and a giant sword began to materialize in the air. "32-bit Mega Blade!"

The sword flies towards the girl. Surprisingly, she shows no sign of dodging the sword. Instead, her body began glowing with blue aura and she pointed her lance to the sword.

"Blue Blaze."

A powerful energy beam burst out from her lance. It collides with the sword, dispersing it as result. The aura from her body faded away, and she let out a sigh.

"I don't know if you're underestimating or what, but please be more serious. If not…" She instantly disappeared and reappeared behind Lady Neptune. "You're going to die."

The girl swung her lance and hit Lady Neptune, throwing her into the chair. Fortunately the attack wasn't too powerful. Lady Neptune manages to stand up and returns to her stance.

"Those moves and attacks, you are not an ordinary human. Who and what are you?" Lady Neptune asked.

"Promise me to fight seriously if I tell you. Well, I don't want to spoil everything, so I'll just tell you my name." The girl bowed down like a knight. "My name is Val. I'm also known as the Sapphire Flame. Nice to meet you, Purple Heart."

"Val, huh? It seems you have no intentions in telling me anything else. Fine then, I'll show you my real strength!"

Lady Neptune flies towards the girl at high speed. Val readied her lance to counter her, but Lady Neptune quickly moved behind Val right before the girl realized that it was a feint. She took a slash on her back and tried maintain her balance, but a rising slash sent her flying to the air. Just before she touches the ground, Lady Neptune does a dashing slash as a finisher.

"Critical Edge."

The girl is struggling to get back on her feet. She used her lance to hold her body from falling.

"Ha…haha… It seems I just dug my own grave by telling you to get serious…" She said.

"Do you understand now? There is no way I can let myself be defeated by you. Now, tell me what—"

The girl suddenly pulled out a gun with her other hand and shot at Lady Neptune. Thankfully she quickly reacted to it and blocked it with her sword.

"Are you really that desperate?"

"Hah, don't get so cocky, Goddess."

Just as she said that, Lady Neptune's sword began to disintegrate. Lady Neptune is clearly shocked and surprised by that. Taking advantage of it, Val shoots another bullet. With little time to react, Lady Neptune can only block it with her arms. Even though the bullet doesn't seem to hurt her, she suddenly reverted back to her normal form.

"H-huh?" Lady Neptune fell and tried to stand up. "What…happened? My body feels heavy…"

"It was special ammo created to fight the Goddesses. As you can see, it negates your godly power." The girl explained. "I didn't want to use it, but I underestimated you a bit. Don't worry, I'll make your death swift, purple Goddess!"

The girl dashed in to finish Lady Neptune off, but I quickly moved in between them and blocked her attack.

"I won't let you hurt her more than that!" I said.

"Azzy!"

My eyes meet with the girl's eyes. For a moment, I felt something familiar. Somehow, this girl gives me a feeling of nostalgia. But, I still can't remember anything. I let myself drown into thoughts again. I thought she was going to use that chance to strike me, but she didn't. She took a few steps back with her eyes still looking at me. She looks troubled somehow, and withdraws her weapons. I looked at her in confusion.

"I see. Once again, the knight is interfering with our plan." She said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Hmm…it will be no fun giving you the answers directly. I guess I have to let you go this time. Think of this as returning a favor." She said as she began to leave.

"Wait!"

"Don't even try. At your condition right now, you have no chance in defeating me. Why don't you worry about your Goddess over there?"

Her words reminded me of Lady Neptune. She's right, I should worry more about Lady Neptune since that girl seems letting us go for real. I quickly rushed to Lady Neptune's side, who was having trouble of getting up.

"Are you okay, Lady Neptune?"

"Ah, somehow. But, I can't move my body really well, haha…" She laughed. "I kinda messed up, huh?"

"Lady Neptune…"

"C'mon, don't give me that worried look! I've experienced worse things in the past! Like being trapped for two years, sucked into another dimension, stuffs like that!" She explained. "But, yeah, I never got hit by that kind of attack. I guess we'll have to call Nepgear?"

"No."

I instinctively lift her up and carry her in my arms. She's lighter than I thought.

"Wha, Azzy?!"

"Nepgear is probably busy right now. And I can still move. Let me carry you back."

"But, it will take a long time you know? Hours, probably."

"I don't care. It's not like you're heavy or anything. I'm not injured and still have lots of stamina. Please, let me help you this time."

That seems to make her stop protesting. Without further delay, I walk back to the entrance. Thankfully, that girl, Val seems serious about letting us go. Even though there are so many things I want to ask her, Lady Neptune's safety is my priority. She doesn't seem lying about not getting hurt. Still, that attack was dangerous, rendering a Goddess unable to move and returning them to their human form. We really encountered many strange things today.

About an hour after our departure from the ruins, the sun began to set. I can see Planeptune not far from here. Probably we will arrive in about ten or fifteen minutes. Lady Neptune hasn't said anything since the beginning. So, that one hour of walking was quite awkward for me, or maybe both of us.

"Hey, Azzy." She said, finally.

"Yes?"

"Aren't your arms getting numb or something?"

"And here I thought you were going to say something serious. My answer is no, not at all. You're not heavy, you're small after all." I said casually.

"Are you saying that I'm a child? For your information, even with this body of mine I managed to get fans from all over the world!"

"I don't mean it like that. Besides, you can transform into a more mature form, and you are a Goddess. You are not a child."

 _But you still act like one,_ is what I thought. But there's no way I'm saying that to her. It's not like it's a bad thing. Being energetic and cheerful has positive effects.

"Say, which one do you like more, my current form or my other form?" She suddenly asked.

"Why are you asking that? Of course I like both. Both are Lady Neptune after all." I said. I immediately realized that I just said something embarrassing. "I-I mean…"

"Thank you…" She replied.

I turned my head to look at Lady Neptune. Oh my Goddess, she's so cute whenever she flustered. And thanks to that, our walk became more awkward than before. But, having small talk like this makes me happy. Though, we need to sort some things when we return. I think something big will happen.

* * *

The white haired girl walked casually along the forest path. Her encounter with that young man stirred something inside her. Not revenge, nor gratitude. But, meeting him again after such a long time…

"Oh? You didn't get the stone?" A voice suddenly came from one of the tree.

The girl looked up to see the source of the voice. A man with spiky hair is standing on one of the branch.

"I found it, but…"

"Did something happen?"

The girl hesitated to continue her sentence, but decided to do it.

"The purple Goddess was there. I had to use the special weapon to fight her. But, someone else stopped me." She said. The man lifts his eyebrow in curiosity. "That guy."

"That guy? You mean the Purple Knight?"

The girl nodded in response. She wasn't sure about telling this to this man, but sooner or later he would find out. The man jumped off and landed behind the girl. He let out a laugh.

"Amazing, amazing! I thought he was dead!" He said. "I see now. You weren't able to obtain the stone because of him. It's not that you couldn't fight him, but you wouldn't, am I right?"

The girl doesn't say anything back. He's right, she could kill that guy back then, but she wouldn't for unknown reasons.

"Val, I know that you don't want to hurt him. That's why… I will be the one to kill him!" The man said.

Val instantly summons her lance and points it to the man's neck.

"If you touch him, I swear I'll—"

"What? Kill me? He's our enemy, you have to see the truth!"

"He didn't remember me! He must've forgotten about everything!"

"Then that gives us more reason to kill him! He sided with the Goddesses. Or, do you also want to turn against us?" The man asked.

Val grits her teeth and withdraws her lance. After exchanging glares, she turned around and continued to walk away. Now her mood is ruined.


	6. Chapter 5 - Unexpected Situation

**Well, another update to make up for the last week!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Unexpected Situation**

Lady Neptune fell asleep after we checked her injuries. Thankfully she didn't suffer any major injury, just some scratches. Ms. Histoire also checked Lady Neptune's condition to see if something was wrong about her Goddess power and the result was relieving. It seems that that girl's attack could only disable a Goddess's power for a period of time. I had given Ms. Histoire the stone to be examined and informed Nepgear of the current situation. She is probably on her way home right now.

Anyway, I can only smile seeing Lady Neptune's sleeping face. Even though we just went through some serious stuff, she fell asleep like nothing happened. Though, it also gives me a regret of not being able to fully protect her. But Lady Neptune didn't even mind that. I suddenly feel warmth on my hand.

"Azzy…zzz…"

Ah, she just said my name. Is she dreaming about me? Am I blushing right now? I can't even tell anymore. Being with her like this is bliss. I slowly put her hand back and walked outside the room. Right now, Lady Neptune needs a very good rest. I walk outside to the balcony. Looking at the starlit sky soothes my heart. Planeptune seems crowded even at night. This view…why does it feel like this is not the first time I see it? I know…knew this view.

"Isn't it wonderful, Az?"

I quickly look around for the source of the voice. No one but me is here right now. Was that my imagination? But, that girly voice sounded familiar. Damn it, this is the first time I feel so frustrated for not being able to remember anything. And that girl, Val…she knows me, I'm sure of it. She called me 'knight'. I wonder what she meant.

"Azrel!"

Another voice came from the sky. Nepgear slowly glides to the balcony. It looks like she is not alone. A woman with long white hair is flying beside Nepgear. From the look, it seems that she's also a Goddess. As soon as they landed, they reverted back to their normal form. The white haired woman turned into a black twintail haired girl.

"Welcome home, Nepgear. And…"

"Noire, Lastation's CPU. You must be the person that Nepgear mentioned. Azrel, was it?" She asked.

"Yes. Nice to meet you, Lady Noire." I replied.

"Um, how is my sister?" Nepgear asked.

"She is fine. She is sleeping right now, so it's better not to bother her."

"I see. Thank goodness." Nepgear gave a sigh of relief. Of course, she suddenly got a call about her sister got attacked. Who wouldn't be relieved to see your sibling is alright after being told so?

"So, when you two explored the ruins, you got attacked? Can you tell me the details?" Lady Noire asked.

"Of course. Shall we do it inside? It's getting cold here." I said.

The three of us nodded in agreement and went to the living room. Nepgear prepared teas for us. After taking our positions, I began to explain. I told them about what happened, including every little details. Lady Noire nodded after my explanation.

"Based on your explanation, it seems that the weapon that she used works similarly with anti-crystal. It's a crystal that can sap a Goddess's power. I thought we already disposed all of them." Lady Noire said. She takes a sip of her tea. "And the stone you mentioned, do you have it right now?"

"No, Ms. Histoire is examining it right now. I'm not sure when will we get the result." I told her.

"Well, knowing Histoire it will probably take around 3 days or so." Nepgear said.

"Yeah. Well, it's no use to keep thinking about it. We have to wait for the result. Anyway, I'm more interested by the fact that Azrel was found sleeping in the ruins. I mean, you just don't fell asleep while exploring, do you?" Lady Noire said.

"You're right. I would love to give the explanations, but I seriously don't remember anything. I'm sorry."

"Ah, please don't mind it. I don't really care about who you really are, but you've been helping Planeptune. That alone is enough for me to trust you. Planeptune is really in worrisome state, so please keep helping Neptune." Lady Noire crossed her arms. "I-it's not like I'm worried about her! I just don't want to win so easily without any effort."

Nepgear and I gave a small laugh. So Lady Noire is that kind of person. But, she came all the way to Planeptune. She must be worried about Lady Neptune.

"W-well then, thank you for giving me the information. I wanted to ask Neptune about few things, but it can't be helped. I'll be sure to watch out." Lady Noire transformed after saying that. "See you later."

We watch her fly away into the distance. A moment of tranquility takes over…until my belly started to grumble. I smiled awkwardly at Nepgear. She smiled back and we walked together to the dining room. Since she had just arrived, we only get to eat leftover foods. Not that I mind.

"Azrel, I want to thank you for protecting my sister. So, thank you." She said.

"No problem. I will protect you and Lady Neptune with my ability." I said.

Nepgear smiled hearing that. Of course, I will protect them, not as returning a favor, but by my own will. I don't want them to get hurt. I don't want any danger to terrorize Gamindustri. I don't know why, but that's my true feelings. After I finished eating, I helped Nepgear with the dishes.

"By the way, can I use the bath?" I asked Nepgear.

"Of course. I'll prepare the water then." She said.

Nepgear left after I thanked her. I really need some time to think. Immersing my body in warm water may help. I'm not sleepy yet. After a few minutes, Nepgear called me and handed me a towel. Mark my words, Nepgear will become an amazing wife.

I let myself drown in the warm water. Ah, this feels so relaxing. Now, let's organizes everything that had happened. I was found in that ruins by Lady Neptune. By the time I woke up, I couldn't remember anything except my name. After that, I decided to help Lady Neptune in gathering Shares. Soon after, I asked Lady Neptune to show me the ruins, which she did. There, we explored the ruins. We found a bloodstained sword and a mysterious stone. Come to think of it, when I touched the bloodstain, an image of a girl came to my mind. But I don't know anything about it. Then, a girl named Val came to get the mysterious stone. She looked dangerous so we decided not to give her the stone. She overpowered Lady Neptune by using a special weapon which is similar to anti-crystal according to Lady Noire. When I blocked her attack, I felt something familiar and she called me a knight. Judging from her words, she's not working alone. She let us go to return a favor, according to her. She must know about me. And lastly, I brought Lady Neptune back home.

There are so many things we don't know about. Until we find out about the stone, we won't know her motives. I decided to stop thinking too hard and proceeded to enjoy the bath. I can hear faint sound coming from outside. Footsteps? I didn't think too much about it, but the sound is getting closer. The door suddenly opened up. And there she is, Lady Neptune herself.

"Yo!"

I instinctively drown myself further into the water until only my head is visible.

"Lady Neptune?! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Ahaha! I've had my rest, and now I'm here! I don't know what else to do, so voila!"

"Can't you just play some games or something?"

"I'm not in the mood right now. You know, lots of things happened, and I can't just ignore it. I even got my butt kicked by some random girl! Well, she was cheating. Yep, cheating." She said.

"You don't really like to lose, huh? Anyway, how do you feel right now?"

"All is fine! I can also feel the Share energy flowing again, though my body still feels stiff. That's why, close your eyes for a minute!"

"Eh?"

"Just do it already!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

I closed my eyes just as she instructed. Why is my heart beating faster? And what's that sound? Did something just fell? For each seconds passed, my heart beats even faster. Then, something got into the water and touched my back. Is this…

"You can open your eyes now."

The voice came from behind me. So, Lady Neptune was the one who got into the bathtub. I see. So Lady Neptune…got into the bathtub. And I'm inside of it. So…she's naked behind me!?

"L-Lady Neptune! What are you—"

"You don't have to yell! Warm water like this is good to relax your stiff muscles and whatever, so I got in. You don't have to be so surprised, you know. But, don't look behind, okay?"

"R-Roger…"

A moment of awkward silence fills the room. I can feel Lady Neptune's small back on mine. I'm not sure what she's thinking right now, but I'm pretty damn sure I'm going crazy. I mean, together in a bath with a Goddess? Who wouldn't want that? As much as I'm excited with the situation, I also feel uncomfortable. I'm not saying that being with Lady Neptune is uncomfortable, but look at our current situation.

"Hey, Azzy."

"Yes, Lady Neptune?"

"Do you want me to transform?"

I lost my cool.

"W-What?! Why?"

"Hehe, just kidding! It's fun to tease you, you know?" She laughed.

I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed. Hey, I'm a man too.

"Hmm? You really want me to transform, don't you?" She asked.

"Ah, no, but…"

"I see. Maybe someday."

Someday? Is she saying that we are going to take another bath together in the future? Well, I don't mind at all, truthfully. Being in bath with Lady Purple Heart…ah! I almost drowned into my fantasy.

"Actually, I came here to talk to you." She said.

"Oh? What is it?" I said casually…almost.

"It's nothing big, but I want to thank you. If you weren't there, I would've been a goner."

"Well if I wasn't around to begin with, you wouldn't have to go to the ruins for the second time."

"Wah! Don't blame yourself! You know, I don't think that finding you was a mistake. In fact, I'm grateful. Since you can help me with the Share!"

"But please don't be lazy." I told her.

"Hehe, of course. Joking aside, I'm really really thankful to you. Are your feet alright? You walked for more than an hour while carrying me after all. Haha…"

"I'm fine. In fact, my legs didn't even feel tired. Maybe I'm used to walking a long distance."

"That's good, then."

Another silence. I don't know what else to talk about, and Lady Neptune doesn't seem to have anything else to talk about. When I thought so, I feel something on my hand. Lady Neptune's hand feels soft, even though it's underwater.

"From now on, please keep supporting me, Azzy." She whispered.

"Absolutely."

Soon after that we got out of the bath and returned to our respective rooms. It's been a stressful day, but that event in the bathroom makes up for it. My heart is still beating fast and my face feels warm. I'm not that ignorant to my own feelings. In fact, I do know what this feeling is. But, I don't want to say it just yet. The most important thing is, I will help and protect Lady Neptune, no matter what awaits us in the future.


	7. Chapter 6 - Virtual Adventure!

**Chapter 6 - Virtual Adventure!**

It's been three days since the event on that night. I spent those three days doing quests while looking out for clues regarding that white haired girl, Val. And of course, I was being accompanied by Lady Neptune, just like she wanted. We didn't find much about Val, but Lady Noire informed us that there had been sighting of a particular white haired girl asking around about a stone in Lastation. It seems like she's around Lastation for now. Anyway, Planeptune's Share had increased slightly. Better than nothing I guess. Lady Neptune also looked happy during the quests, so all is fine for now. Currently, Lady Neptune and I are eating ice creams while sitting near a fountain. She said that this is my reward for doing great jobs. Well, for me being together with her like this is more than enough.

"This ice cream is the best! Though I still love pudding more." She said.

"You really love pudding, huh?" I said with a smile.

"Of course! I wouldn't even share a pudding with anyone!"

"But, you shared one with me."

"W-well, you are special…" She whispered.

With that, the situation became awkward. After that one night, things tend to get like this whenever we talk. We would talk normally at first, but our conversations usually turned like this most of the time. Now, to get out of this awkwardness, I quickly finish eating my ice cream.

"Lady Neptune, shall we prepare to go to Lowee?" I asked her.

Her mind seems still in other place, but she quickly returns to her senses.

"Y-yeah, we should. Let me finish this first."

Lady Neptune hurriedly eats her ice cream. This morning, we got a call from Lady Blanc. She said she found something similar to the stone we had found. Lady Blanc called us because we're the one who were involved directly in a situation regarding the stone. By the way, Ms. Histoire said the examination of the stone will be finished soon. After she finished with her ice cream, Lady Neptune immediately transforms. She reached out her hand.

"Let's go."

I take her hand and we begin to fly to Lowee. I know that Lady Neptune has no problem carrying me like this, but I still think it's not right. If only I could fly, I'd be the one to carry her, or at least fly with her. Well, this is the only fastest way so I can't complain that much.

"By the way, what kind of person is Lady Blanc?" I asked.

"As you already saw, she is a quiet girl for most of the time. But, whenever she's angry, she'll become fiercer. When she's in her CPU form, she'll get pissed more easily. Oh, and don't mention anything about her chests to her."

"I see. I guess I'll have to be careful not to anger her then."

So, she's a quite Goddess who has a complex about her chests, and can be quite scary when she's angry.

"Azzy, I've been meaning to ask you this, do you feel comfortable flying like this?" She asked.

"I can't say I do, but there's no other choice, right?"

"Well, I can turn into a jet plane…"

"A what?"

Without any warning, she throws me upward. I don't know what she's thinking, but I got scared for a moment until I landed on something. A black jet plane. You're joking…

"Are you for real…?"

"Cool isn't it?"

"I'm between amazed and scared. How in the world can you do this?"

"Don't think too much of this. You're going to get crazy if you do so. Anyway, hold on tight."

After doing so, Lady Neptune flies at full speed. Thankfully I gripped really tight, or else I would fall. In a short amount of time, we arrived in Lowee. So this is Lowee, Land of White Serenity. It's covered in snow and it's so cold. People are wearing winter clothes and the children are playing with the snow. We landed just outside a building that seems to be Lady Blanc's Basilicom. Lady Neptune immediately reverted to her human form.

"The fact that I was riding a Goddess seems so wrong…" I commented.

"Don't say it like that, people will misunderstand you. Well, I don't mind it at all, so don't think too much about it!"

Dismissing our conversation, she walked ahead with me following her close behind. The guards at the door gave us a salutation and opened the door. We were greeted by a large corridor. After a few steps, we turned to the left. At the end of this corridor was a big door. Lady Neptune opened it with a bang.

"Yo, Blanc! We're here!"

Inside, Lady Blanc was talking to another person. The said person was a blonde woman. They turned around and greet us.

"My, welcome, Neptune." The blonde woman said.

"Can't you enter quietly?" Lady Blanc said.

"Oh, Vert is here too?" Lady Neptune looked at the blonde.

So this woman is Lady Vert, Green Heart of Leanbox. She looked like a refined woman.

"Hmm? So this is the young man you talked about. Azrel, was it?" She asked.

"Ah, yes. Pleased to meet you, Lady Vert."

"My, such a polite young man, and good-looking to add. No wonder you're so happy to be around him, Neptune."

"T-thank you, Lady Vert."

"I know, right? Anyway, why are you here Vert?" Lady Neptune asked.

"I think it's better for her to hear the explanation from both of you directly. Since you were coming, I asked her to come too." Lady Blanc explained.

"I see. Then, let us explain everything then!" Lady Neptune said.

She began to explain about the events that had occurred these past few days. Lady Blanc and Lady Vert seem to understand everything. After giving the explanation, Lady Blanc showed us the stone. Indeed, the stone was similar to the one we found, albeit different in color. The one we found was red, and this one is blue.

"It seems that there are other stones like this. And if what you said is true, then the stones had to have some functions, unless the person you mentioned was just a stone maniac." Lady Vert said.

"You're right. I hope Histoire will finish the examination soon, because we don't have any lead right now." Lady Blanc added.

"Well, Histy said she would be finished today. So it won't be that long until she done." Lady Neptune said.

The door suddenly opened and two girls walked in. One of them wore blue coat and the other wore pink coat.

"We're home!" The pink one said loudly.

"We're home…" The blue one said quietly.

"Rom and Ram. Welcome home. How was it? Did you get your game?" Lady Blanc asked.

"Of course! We got the limited edition! Look!" The pink one showed her game to us.

Lady Blanc smiled at them and patted their head. The blue one noticed me and hid behind Lady Blanc.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce you. Azrel, they are my little sisters, Rom and Ram. Rom, Ram, introduce yourselves." Lady Blanc said.

"Oh! So you're the one that Nepgear talked about! I'm Ram! Nice to meet you!" The pink one said.

"I'm Rom… Nice to meet you." The blue one said.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Azrel, I hope we get along."

"Hey, why don't you play with us? We can play the new game together!" Ram suggested.

I turned to look at the CPUs. They nodded and smiled at me, giving me an approval.

"Alright then. I have nothing to do at the moment, so I'll accompany you." I said to them.

"Yay!"

Both of them looked so happy, even though Rom seemed to be reluctant. I followed them to the other side of the room. There were cushions scattered, and the twins sat themselves on the floor and began to organize the games. Ram handed me one of the console.

"The game we bought is a RPG game, so we can play together from the beginning!" Ram said.

"I see. Starting from the beginning with friends will make the game more fun. Let's see… Salamander Quest V? Looks fun."

We started the game together and began to play. The game asked us to create our own character. I designed my character to resemble me in a way and chose the Swordsman class.

"I'll be the Black Mage!" Ram said.

"Then, I'll be the White Mage…" Rom said.

"Oh, we have a nice party here. I'll do the fighting from close, you two can back me up." I said to them. The two of them nodded happily in response.

The game started normally. We found our characters in a town. We bought necessary items and equipment and began a quest. Our first quest asked us to handle the monsters in the forest near the town. The three of us travelled to the forest while gathering EXP and Gold along the way. Our battle strategy is simple but efficient. I fight the enemy up close while Ram uses her spells to help me fight. Rom gives us buffs and heals us when we are low on health. Surprisingly, I enjoy playing this game with the two of them.

"A treasure chest! Let's open it!"

"Wait, Ram! It might be a trap!" I told her.

I opened the chest and…just as I thought, it's a trap.

"Whew. I'm glad it only dealt small damage. But, if Ram had opened it, it would deal bigger damage because of your little defense. When opening a chest in a dungeon area, it is better for a Thief to open it because they have a skill to detect traps, but we don't have one. So, a person with higher defense stat should open it to minimalize the damage." I explained.

"Wow! You really know how to play!" Ram commented.

"Yeah, I'm glad we played together. It's fun." Rom added.

"I-is that so? Playing with you is also fun for me."

"Ahh, I wish you would stay in Lowee. It's not fair that Nepgear gets to play with you the most." Ram whined.

"It's true that I play with Nepgear sometimes, but I also do some works you know. I can't just play around all the time."

"Really? I thought because you're with Neptune you won't go to work!" Ram said.

"Mr. Azrel is a hardworking person." Rom said.

Even these children said something like this. Oh Lady Neptune.

"But, Lady Neptune always comes with me whenever I do a quest. I guess it's an improvement? Anyway, we're getting closer to the boss room. Are you ready?"

"Of course!" They answered together.

Our character walked deeper into the forest. The screen began to shake and a large plant creature came out from the ground. I rushed in to attack the petal, but multiple vines blocked my path. Ram noticed this and incinerated the vines with fire spell. I managed to do a clean hit, but one of the vines knocked me back.

"This boss is tough!" I said.

After being healed by Rom, I tried to attack again, but I noticed one of its vine was coming for Rom, so I blocked it with my sword.

"Thank you, Mr. Azrel." Rom said.

"Azrel, I can defeat it with my ultimate spell! Cover me when I'm charging up!" Ram instructed.

"As you wish, Ram!"

Ram began to charge her spell while I protect her from the boss's attacks. Rom buffed us with defensive aura while occasionally shooting the boss with light spell. After a few moments, Ram finished her spell and unleashed it.

"Flame Storm!"

A burst of flame burst out from her staff and set the boss ablaze. The burning effect was effective because the boss was a plant-type monster.

"Not done yet, huh? Then take this, Hyper Slash!"

I used my super move to inflict more damage and finally defeated the boss.

"Yay! We did it!"

"We won!"

"Yes! Good job you two!"

We did high fives and returned to the town for the prize. Because it's our first quest, the prize wasn't that amazing, but hey, we had fun.

"Azrel, we can play together again, right?" Ram asked.

"Can we?" Rom followed.

"Of course we can. As long as I'm not busy, we can play together again. It's fun playing with you both." I said.

"Are you having fun with them, Azrel?" Lady Blanc suddenly appeared and asked me.

"Oh, Lady Blanc. Yes, it was fun playing with them."

"Good, then. But Rom, Ram, I need to talk to Azrel for a moment. Can you wait here?"

"Eeh? But we're still playing!" Ram protested.

"We want to play more…" Rom added.

"We can play again later, Rom and Ram. I promise." I said.

They let me come with Lady Blanc, although they didn't look so happy.

"So, what do you need from me, Lady Blanc?" I asked.

"Histoire called. She's going to explain about the stone."


	8. Chapter 7 - Iris Field Showdown

**Comments Reply**

 **Pikatwig: Thank you for enjoying my story! And yes, theoretically, that would be the case. But...we'll see. ;)**

 **And thanks in general for enjoying my story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - Iris Field Showdown**

Lady Neptune, Lady Blanc, Lady Vert, and I are standing in front of a monitor with Ms. Histoire on the other side. Lady Noire, who is not here with us, also had to talk through her screen from Lastation. Of course, Lady Neptune commented on how lonely Lady Noire was. Dismissing it with a sigh, Ms. Histoire showed us the stone that we found and some writings on the screen.

"First off, this stone seems to be called as a Dream Stone. I found records of it having being used as a wish-granting item. And, believe it or not, some of those wishes weren't small. It is said that a person had used it to grant him wealth for seven generation. And indeed, he became rich and a successful businessman. But at the eighth generation, their wealth disappeared suddenly." Ms. Histoire explained.

"Such a poor guy. Why did he have to say seven generation? I bet his descendants were blaming him." Lady Neptune commented.

"True. But, I think the stone grants wishes way too literally." Lady Blanc said.

"Well, at least he didn't have to suffer while he was alive." Lady Noire added.

"Now we know why the girl wanted the stone. Don't you find it amazing though? I don't mean to be rude to the stones, but they're just stones." Lady Vert said.

"A single stone itself is not worthy of attention. You can even think of it as a big pebble. But, once you've gathered all of them, they can become an amazing wish-granting object." Ms. Histoire continued.

"All of them? So there are more than the ones that we've found?" I asked.

"Yes. There are five of them scattered around Gamindustri. Each time the stones are used, they will disappear for indeterminate time. When they do reappear, they will appear in all nations, one for each. The fifth one, however, always appear at random locations. The one that you found was Planeptune's, and Blanc had also found Lowee's. So, Lastation's and Leanbox's is still somewhere out there."

"I see. Then, I think we should keep the ones we've found in a safe place for now. Who knows what might happen?" I said.

"I agree. I'll keep mine in the hidden storage room. Neptune, you should do the same." Lady Blanc suggested.

"Okay! So, Histy, keep it safe at you-know-where, 'kay? It is better safe than sorry they say!" Lady Neptune said.

"Huh? I thought you always bring the key with you." Ms. Histoire said.

"Oh crap! You're right! Then, keep it safe with you for now! I'll be back later."

"Fine then. Don't dawdle too much. If you don't have anything important to do, please come back."

With that, Ms. Histoire disconnected herself.

"I guess I'll have a search team to go and look for the stone. It's bad if the stone fell in the wrong hands." Lady Noire said before disconnecting.

"I will do the same. I know that with just one stone nothing can happen, but having the stones is safer since we know that there are people who are looking for the stones right now. Take care." Lady Vert said and excused herself.

"I guess that's it for now. I'll ask Mina to hide the stone because there's a quest I had to do. Neptune, what will you do?" Lady Blanc asked.

"Well, we weren't doing anything, so I'll just follow Azzy."

"Wait, Lady Blanc. What kind of quest are you going to do?" I asked.

"It's a gathering quest. I need to look for some Glowgrass. Do you want to come along?"

"How about I do the quest for you? You can ensure that the stone is hidden very well. It's not that I don't trust your Oracle, but I just want us to be very careful about this." I said.

"I see. It's fine, you're not wrong. I'll make sure to hide it well. Here is the description of the quest." She said as she handed me a paper.

"Thank you."

"Huh? Azrel, you're going outside?"

Rom and Ram suddenly came up to me. I completely forgot about this. I already promised to play with them, but…

"I'm sorry, girls. This is quite important. How about you play with Lady Neptune?" I asked.

"What? You're going to abandon me here? Azzy, how cruel…" Lady Neptune sulked.

"Please, Lady Neptune. This quest doesn't seem to be that difficult. I'll be back soon. I promise."

After pouting for a while, Lady Neptune finally gave up and went to play with the twins. Even though they were reluctant at first, they seem to enjoy it now.

"Well then, Lady Blanc. I'll do the quest now."

"Please be careful."

* * *

The place that was written down on the paper was Iris Field. It wasn't that far to get here by foot. Surprisingly, this place isn't as cold as Lowee. Right now, my quest is to gather some Glowgrass. According to the description, most of them grow at the northern most part of the field. Without wasting any time, I started my way to the north. The monsters here weren't very strong, so I had no problem dealing with them. After some minutes of walking, I finally found the location. But, someone was standing there, his back facing me.

"Not here too, huh? Damn, why does it so hard searching for a pebble?"

I'm not sure about what he meant, but somehow I feel that this person is dangerous. I tightened my grip on my sword unconsciously. Seemingly sensed something, that person turned and met my gaze.

"Oh? What do we have here?" He said. "I didn't know you were in Lowee."

"Huh? Who are you?" I asked.

The man crossed his arms and put an expression of disbelief.

"I see. It seems that Val wasn't lying at all. You really forgot about us."

His words surprised me. He's that girl's friend, and now I'm sure they know me.

"Well, it's not like I care about it. Anyway, do you know where can I find the stone?" He asked.

"You mean the Dream Stone?"

"Yes! That's the one! You know about it, huh? Tell me where I can find it."

"There's no way I'm going to tell you. You probably will use it for something bad, right?"

"Who knows? I'm just doing my mission. Anyway, if you won't tell me," He cracked his fist. "I'll force the answer out of you…"

He dashed to me with amazing speed, but I reacted just in time to dodge his punch. He didn't stop there, he kept throwing his fists onto me and I could only dodge.

"What's wrong? Did you get weaker?" He taunted.

I carefully timed my strike and slashed his fist, but he only took a step back. Without losing my pace, I thrust my fiery blade to his body. To my surprise, he blocked it with his arms. It felt like I was hitting an iron.

"Not bad. But you can't defeat me with just that!"

He elbowed my sword, making me lost my balance, and hit my belly with his other fist. The impact threw me back a few meters. That punch hurt like hell. I stood up and set my sword to ice element. After taking a deep breath, I rushed to him and readied my sword. He prepared his fists to counter me, but I wasn't aiming for him directly. When he thrust his fists to me, I ducked and slid under him while slashing his legs, freezing them in place.

"Gah! Dammit!"

As soon as I got back up, I changed to fire element and unleashed a fire blast, knocking him away. Even though he looked fine, I'm sure that attack was damaging enough.

"You're not bad, Azrel. Even though you're not as strong as before, I'm still raging to defeat you!"

"Just who are you? How do you know about me?" I asked.

"You won't probably remember, but my name is Araki! You were always so annoying, you know? Acting high and mighty…you're nothing but a puppet!"

After he said that, a red aura began to surround him. I can feel the power from where I stand. From the looks of it, he's going to unleash a powerful attack. I prepared myself to withstand it.

"Take this! Tiger Roar!"

He punched the air and shot out a tiger-shaped aura. The aura was quite fast. I was unable to dodge it. Without any other choice, I blocked it with my sword. The aura was so powerful. I couldn't hold it for a long time. Overwhelmed by its power, I was thrown back quite far. This time, the damage it caused to my body made me unable to stand up. I could only see him approaching me slowly until he was standing directly beside me.

"You're finished, traitor."

He raised his aura-covered fist and threw it to me.

"Stop!"

A voice came up and his fist suddenly stopped in front of my face. The man turned to look behind him and saw a familiar girl.

"Val. I thought your mission was to find the one in Lastation." He said.

"I couldn't find anything useful there. So, I came to check on your progress." Val replied.

"I was trying to get information out of him. I guess I went a bit far."

Val looked at me for a while, and returned her attention to Araki.

"I'll handle the rest. You're not suited for interrogation. Why don't you go help the others?" Val asked the man.

"Hmph. Fine. Remember your role, Val."

The man proceeded to leave. Now, it's only me and Val. The girl looked at me and crouched beside me.

"So, do you know where the stone is?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I won't tell you."

"I see. You know that I could kill you right now, right?"

"I know you wouldn't." I said instinctively.

Val looked surprised, and so did I. I said that so casually, as if I knew she really wouldn't kill me. Well, it's not a secret anymore that we used to know each other. But, without my memory, she's a complete stranger to me. Yet, I didn't feel that way.

"You're right. I won't kill you. And, it seems that you won't give me the answer no matter how much I ask. So…" She said as she stood up. "I'm going to take my leave."

"Wait! Did you come here…just to save me?"

No matter how hard it is to believe it, I think that's her true intention. She just stood there without doing anything, and walked away soon after.

"Without your memory, you won't be able to do much. So, I suggest you find a way to recover them." She said. "I'm just returning a favor."

She vanished after that. Returning a favor, huh? I must've helped her in my past. Yet, we're enemies right now. My relationship with them is still a mystery. Remembering my real purpose, I turned my head to look around and noticed a small field of Glowgrass.

"Phew, at least it didn't get destroyed."

I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed a number. Thank goodness I brought it with me.

"Hello? Lady Neptune? Can you give me a hand?"


End file.
